It's difficult to know where to start with the champs this year! There were some good bits and there were some shocking outcomes......
The 'good' bits were that I thought I rode a slightly smarter test this year, Ewen (and Hardy) came with me this year and we had a nice picnic when we got there and through the day. Kate came down to 'groom' which was lovely and enjoyed the vino when Ewen cracked open a bottle of wine from the 2 crates we'd picked up from Three Choirs Vineyard. It's my favourite wine and it's only 8 miles from Hartpury so we 'swung by' with Fred and the trailer to pick up some vino before the competition. I obviously didn't partake until returning back home that evening.
HOWEVER, it wasn't quite the Hartpury experience of 2023! The warm up was good and the girls were as you would expect, but when you went across to the holding pen, it was full of poo, the girls who were supposed to be in charge of the pen and the main arena were on their mobile's, feet up on the table vapping. The girl squawked so loudly (twice) whilst I was warming up in response to something that was on her phone that she spooked Fred - twice. They also missed the gate so Kate had to let the other person out and me in (for BOTH tests). The main arena had a poo trial from the C judge to the B judge.
But Fred behaved beautifully - no spooking this year at the plants - and I was proud of him. With 26 entries (although a couple did withdraw) initially we laughed when the class finished and I was in 11th place - yet again!
We then had a 3 hour wait - which was a bit crazy from a planning point of view. 6 of the riders in the Novice were also in the Ele with 4 new riders joining. It surely would have made sense to put those 6 riders last in the Novice and first in the Ele to close the time gap.
Our second test was 7.15, at 6.30pm about 10 mins or so before I was going to get Fred off the box, he spotted something behind the hedge and went 'pig-gate' on me. I found out afterwards that unfortunately one of the students had fallen off her horse in the jump arena behind the hedge and hadn't been found for 5/10 mins when an ambulance was called. I suspect Fred heard/sensed the drama.
I got him off the lorry and managed to tack him up whilst he flew around my and Kate's heads like a kite and I hand walked him, piaffing and snorting, up to the warm up. He let me get on but was super sensitive and it took me all the time I had just to get him 'in the room' with me. Which included spooking at the girls in the box, the rustle of the banners and fabric on the side, spooking at the mounting block etc etc. He settled in the holding pen, but then he realised without the adrenaline, he had blown all his energy chips and struggled mentally and physically to stay with me.
I considered withdrawing, but since I had waited and had got as far as the arena, I thought we may as well get the experience of riding this test in the big arena. I nursed a tired Fred-bear around the test. Physically drained, he struggled to hold his frame and push for the medium trot and canters mentally tired, he parked up when the sun shone in his way after the rein-back, he missed some of the more subtle commands and moves, with a much less crisp leg yield than normal and disuniting ahead of the second simple change which we completely missed, finally, coming into what could have been a good final halt from the medium trot, I think his left hip 'popped' and his back end collapsed - genuinely taking him by surprise.
It's no surprise therefore that the test with a few 3's from both judges came in just shy of 60%
Returning to the box park, Fred sensed the drama again and I had to move the trailer to load him, then I had to stand with him whilst Ewen grabbed my sheets and Fred reared and stamped and finally we got on our way.
Across the box park all day people were commenting on the score. Even those placed were disappointed with the score. The judging was harder this year than last year - a situation exasperated by the fact that the scoring was NOT correct.
I didn't check my sheet on the day but the next morning I looked at my sheet and thought - there's too many 7s and 6.5s to be that low. When I re-added up there were 7 marks missing from my Novice test and 13.5 from my Elementary test! A situation made more insulting when I realised another competitor who had posted her sheet and prizes had been added up incorrectly but this time having 6.5 marks added - which meant they would have been placed behind me.
I was tired, frustrated and cried.
I did complain, they did re-add my sheet agreed I was 3% down which would have bumped me into the placings. The fact that the placing should have been a couple higher (and who knows really what the final scores were) is just shocking for a finals and really disappointing.
They took the results down and sent on a rosette.
I haven't yet bought a picture. I probably will. The photos are beautiful. I've put the video tests below for future reference.
Yes the Ele is weak. I know that. If you're reading this, yes I know......
Things to learn for next time - request times close together and check the sheets on the day!
Novice test
Elementary test
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